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The Cisco
® uBR-MC3GX60V Broadband Processing Engine (BPE) (Figure 1) is a high-capacity, DOCSIS
® 3.0-capable line card for the Cisco uBR10012 Universal Broadband Router. With 72 DOCSIS downstream and 60 upstream channels per card, the Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BPE sets a new benchmark for scalable, faster, and cost-effective DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) solutions. With the addition of the uBR-MC3GX60V BPE, the Cisco uBR10012 platform scales to an unprecedented
576 modular DOCSIS downstream channels and 480 upstream channels, or approximately 24 Gbps of downstream throughput and 14.4 Gbps of upstream throughput, in a single, carrier-class chassis.

Figure 1. Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V Broadband Processing Engine

The Cisco uBR10012 CMTS with the uBR-MC3GX60V BPE delivers 10 times the capacity and 20 times the speed of DOCSIS 2.0 solutions at only a fraction of the cost. Because it bonds 24 DOCSIS channels (or 18 EuroDOCSIS channels) per bonding group, the solution allows cable operators to deliver ultra-broadband services with maximum downstream speeds approaching 1.0 Gbps per subscriber. A fully loaded Cisco uBR10012 CMTS with the Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BPE can deliver 500 HDTV channels, video-on-demand (VoD), and ultra-broadband services to 20,000 homes.

Extending the Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 Solution

Figure 2 illustrates the Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 solution.

Figure 2. Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 Solution with Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BPE

The Cisco uBR10012 CMTS and uBR-MC3GX60V BPE are part of the Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 solution portfolio. As the first and only CMTS product that supports both of the CableLabs-specified CMTS architectures - integrated and modular - in the same chassis, the Cisco uBR10012 provides a broad range of configuration options so cable operators can select the CMTS design that best meets their specific requirements. The addition of the Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BPE to the solution portfolio adds unparalled scalability while significantly reducing the per-channel cost of the CMTS.

The combination of the Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V and Cisco RF Gateway 10 (RFGW-10) platforms provides a new level of capacity while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and availability through comprehensive line card and supervisor redundancy on both carrier-class platforms. The resulting benefits are
faster time to market, dramatically lower total cost of ownership, and higher revenues than previously possible, thus helping cable operators prepare their networks for the exponential growth of IP video traffic.

The Cisco uBR10012 CMTS with the uBR-MC3GX60V BPE, when used together with the Cisco RF Gateway Series Universal Edge QAM, provides the following critical benefits to cable operators:

• Exporting the downstream physical layer (PHY) functions to the Cisco RF Gateway Series provides dramatic scalability improvements on the Cisco uBR10012 CMTS. This enormous increase in scalability lowers the cost per bit of the CMTS, which is crucial for cable operators planning to deliver IP video services.

• Integrating the downstream PHY functions for both DOCSIS and traditional digital video services into a single Universal Edge QAM product allows cable operators to take advantage of continuing innovation in quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) channel density while protecting their investment in CMTS downstream capacity.

• Converging the DOCSIS and traditional digital video services on a single RF port per service group enables cable operators to use more QAM channels per physical port, thereby reducing the cost per channel for all services as well as reducing the rack space, power, cooling, and other environment requirements for delivering the full suite of data, voice, and video services.

Transitioning from digital video to IP video services in a cost-effective manner is made possible by independently scaling the CMTS downstream channels and repurposing the Universal Edge QAM channels.

The standards-based modular solution also allows cable operators to use third-party Edge QAM products that comply with the CableLabs M-CMTS specifications.

Flexibility with Cisco Software Licensing

The Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BRE provides true cost flexibility for operators with licensing options that offer a pay-as-you-grow model. The software licensing capability combined with the adaptability of the modular CMTS architecture allows customers to turn up and move ports and bandwidth to different service groups as needed, without fear of stranding downstream or upstream ports.

The ability to purchase and activate downstream and upstream channels as needed through software licensing allows cable operators to closely match their capital expenditures to their growth requirements. Cable operators can also reduce their operational expenses by designing their DOCSIS networks to accommodate future growth by simply installing upgrade licenses to add channels when needed, thus avoiding complex and costly hardware upgrades and plant redesigns. These CapEx and OpEx benefits for growing DOCSIS networks makes the Cisco uBR10012 CMTS with the uBR-MC3GX60V BPE the ideal solution for transitioning to IP video.

Delivering Video over DOCSIS (VDOC)

To enable the transition to an all-IP network, including managed and unmanaged IP video services, the Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 solution provides a highly scalable, highly available converged network optimized for video. Cisco IOS
® Software offers a comprehensive feature set for efficient IP video delivery over the DOCSIS network.

• High quality: Advanced quality of service (QoS) features such as dynamic bandwidth sharing and admission control for bandwidth reservation help ensure video quality and enable convergence with high-speed data services.

A minimum configuration of 16 counts of both SWLIC-MC3GX60V-DS and SWLIC-MC3GX60V-US is required when purchasing Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V hardware.

Notes on Licenses

• If purchasing multiple line cards, each line card in the order must have the same number of upstream and downstream licenses. Upgrade licenses may be purchased in case customers need line cards with different licenses.

• Partial fulfillment is supported. If customers wish to purchase upgrade licenses for multiple hardware devices (for example, if they wish to upgrade all their Cisco uBR-MC3GX60V BREs), partial fulfillment allows all upgrade licenses to be generated using a single PAK if the customer desires. This can greatly increase operational ease of license upgrades.

• Partial fulfillment is supported with Cisco License Manager (CLM).

• Downstream and upstream upgrade licenses can be mixed and matched under a single L-MC3GX60V-SWLIC= PAK.

• Return materials authorization (RMA): Cisco Services will replace faulty hardware with hardware that has no downstream or upstream licenses. Customers will need to transfer licenses from the failed board to the new board to make it operational.

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